Portable receptacle and frame therefor



g- 6, 1935. J. SCHOENFELD 2,010,276

PORTABLE RE ICEPTACLE AND FRAME THEREFOR Filed July 23, 1952 Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE RECEPTACLE AND FRAME THEREFOR Jacob Schoenfeld, New

York, N. Y., assignor to United Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, 7 Mass, a corporation ofMassachusetts Application July 23, 1932, Serial No. 624,227

4 Claims.

5 frame members being in improvedassociation between certain walls of the receptacle so that the pressure'is exerted through said walls with the latter acting as a cushioning means for said elements.

Another object of the invention is the provi sion of a portable receptacle having a plurality of frame elements provided with improved spaced means for resilient interengagement, one of said means being superior to the other so that an opening movement at the superior means causes opening movement of the other means as well.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a plurality of improved frame members having bars of equal length and a plurality of sets of crossed arms connected to the ends of the bars, the arms of one frame member being so bent as to be resiliently engageable by portions of the other arms in relative proximity to said bars.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frame-structure with pivoted crossed arms and looking or catch means in improved association with said arms.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the type mentioned having few and simple parts and which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, neat in appearance, durable, reliable, convenient in operation, and efiicient in use.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated on the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a View in end elevation of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a frame embodying the invention and showing the bag in dot dash lines.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the broken line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation showing the device in open position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device in open position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of a modification of the device.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It willbe obvious to those skilled in the-art to which this invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exempiification of the invention.

Generally described, this invention provides any portable receptacle such as a handbag orfthe like and a novel frame having improved association therewith. Said frame mayinclude U shaped frame members, the levers or arms of which are pivotally interconnected and cross each other so that pressure on the arms causes the frame members to move apart and open the bag. Any suitable catches or locking means may coact with said arms to prevent the opening movement. Said bag may be made of a tough heavy body material and may include side walls and end gussets of concave form within which said arms may be disposed so that multiply thicknesses of the heavy material are available through which the pressure can be exerted on-said arms or lock ing means for opening the bag.- Where the side walls and gussets have reenforcing seams, the latter prevent distortion. or curling of the walls due to repeated pressure exerted thereon for moving the arms. A novel catch. means may be associated with frame members of different constructions, and being characterized in that a plurality of resilient spaced catch means are provided, one of which is superior in holding power to the other so that any opening movement for the superior catch means is communicated to the other to. cause the bag to openthroughout, but such opening movement being insuf icient for this purpose if exerted on the catch means having the lesser power. The frame members may also include, rigid bars and thearms beingresilient, for snap or recessed resilient engagement with each other to hold the" bag releasablynlosed, the arms being connected to 'reg-istering points of the bars, and certain oflthe arms being offset for said engagement.

Referring in detail to the. drawing, I 0. denotes a device embodying the invention. The same may include a pluralityof frame members I I, I2 arranged for movement toward-and away from each other. Each frame member may'be of U- shaped form, having an upper rigid bar or channel I 3, the bars of the difierent frame members being arranged to lie side by side in a plane and being preferably equal in length. The frame member Ii may have a plurality of depending levers or arms l4 and the frame member I2 may have corresponding arms l5. These arms may be secured at thehir upper ends at registering points of the frame members, as at the ends i6 thereof as shown. "The arms i5 may extend along planes, which may be at right angles to bar i3, and the arms I4 being oifset toward each other as at If! so as to lie between the arms 15 and across the same as at Hi. It will be noted that the portions H! of said arms above !8 lie in the same corresponding planes and side by side, while the arm portions below l8 are in different planes. More,- over, each arm may have an angular portion 2;] at the region [8, said arms being thence downwardly extended at a relatively small divergent angle, and their lower portions 2! being bowed together and movably or pivotally interconnected at 22.

Alinement of the end portions of the frame members l l, I2 at [6 is assured by the multipoint engagement between the arms M, l 5 at is and 22. While the frame members are being moved apart, the arms are in constant sliding engagement with each other, and even when fully open, as in Fig. e',"there is sufficientengagement at 2! to hold the frame'members in proper relation. Such engagement can be increased by gradually increasing the width of said arms and hence the sliding surface from the upper tothe lower portions of said ms.

I 16353191 in e en agin h frame bers', various means may be provided, such as locking device's located on bars H, l2 according to the conyention'al practice, but it is a feature of this invention that such devices are unnecessary, and thatthe bars H, i 2 may be perfectly uniform, although ornamental devices may be aflixed thereto. Moreover, this invention provides what is in the nature of a concealed locking means since the an erpr opening the bag is not readily apparent, and particularly so, since the armsl l, ltl c'an be concealed in the receptacle. Ereferablythe interengaging means is of such a nature as to release due to pressure on the arms. Thus I may provide one setof saidarms, such as the arms i5, with catch means, as, for instance, the recessed portions 23, 24 at i8, so arranged as to releasably engage the adjacent crossing per.- tions of the armsud, said arms resiliently interengaging at said recesses. If desired, the recesses zarmyt deeper than those'at 2 4 to afiord a superior holding engagement at g3. If now pressure isexerted on the arms l4, til at the right hand endof' the frame, the engagement at as will be released but that at 2 3 will continue. But by'exertingth e pressure at the left hand end of t me the en ment at 3 is r e s a d sufiicientforce is transmitted through the rigid bars it} to cause the engagement atgq to open. If a"rapid or st fOng force is apvplie'gl at the righ hand end. of t e am h en agement at b gtffand 24 may be opened, butthis canbe pre: vented by a sufiicient depthof the recess 23, and in fact the general operation as above described will be sufficient for all practical purposes. It

may also be noted that the dellth of recess 23 may be made sufiicient to. require that a twist be given to the adjacent arms in a counterclockwise direc on fQ JIQ aSins e e a men It w appreciated'that the recessesshown are in tended as a simplified illustration of one embodiment of the invention.

If desired, the arms It, IS may be arranged as shown at Ma, 55a and provided with a positive locking means in addition to the resilient catch means, the former /0 be used at such times as especially reliable closure is required. Such posi tive locking means may act directly between the arms, and one form thereof may include a finger 25 pivotally connected at 26 to the arm. 55c and lying substantially in the plane of arm i-iia, said finger having preferably a right angle end recess, one wall 2'! of said recess forming a shoe for abutting the finger Mia, and the other wall of said recess forming a thin guide extension 23 a Shown at 29, whereby levers are formed, a1

though these terms are used as equivalents to arms. The extensions 23 may constitute finger piece portions for manipulating the arms, and the latter may thcnbe arranged in any required proximity to each other. tensions 29 may be arranged in cross relation, they are preferably extended laterally so that pressure exerted thereon will tend to cause the arms to move apart with the bars 53 moving toward each other. This arrangement will tend to prevent accidental opening of the handbag by pressure, as when the handbag is carried between the arm and the body of the person. But when pressure is exerted on the arms above the pivot 22, the device will open.

The device it may include a bag that may be of conventional character, but the same having novel and improved cooperation with the frame as hereinafter described in detail. Said bag may consist of leather, composition material, textile fabric, or the like, and may have a suit able lining of textile or other feasible material, if desired. Thus the bag 26 may have side walls 36, 32'interconnected at the bottom as by an integral fold portion 33 and secured at the top in any suitable manner to the bars i3. Also interconnecting said side walls, end gussets 3d of any well known character, are provided, these gussets being concave and having suitable folds for expansion. Thewalls 3i, and the gussets may have linings 35, 3B, and the gussets may be interconnected with the side walls by reenforcing seams. The latter may be formed, for example, by inturning the material of the walls, gussets and linings at their edge portions as shown at 3'! and stitching the same through as at 38.

The elements of the frame structure, such as l4, l5, and Ma, ifia may be disposed between the multiply, heavy body walls Si, 32 thus provided, and are preferably arranged within the concave spaces afforded by the gussets. Due to the concavity of the latter, the side wall portions of the gussets supplement the adjacent portions of the walls 35, 32 to afford a cushioning and distributing means through which pressure can be exerted and transmitted to the arms as indicated by arrows 39. The cushioning action may be increased by the linings. Hence the operator need not exert the pressure directly upon the relatively thin arms such as M, 55 nor upon While the exfinger pieces such as 29, but conveniently grasps a side edge portion of the handbag and comfortably presses thereon.

Due to the heavy body multi-ply character of the pressure transmitting wall portions, the same will not be creased or marred by pressure against said arms or other parts. And since the arms are relative proximity to the reenforcing seams at 31, the edge portions of the handbag will not be distorted or curled by repeated pressure. Moreover, the maximum space is afforded within the handbag, since by this arrangement the said arms are positioned in relative proximity to the ends of the receptacle.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawing, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A handbag frame including a plurality of frame members movable toward and away from each other, each of said frame members having a bar and a plurality of depending arms secured thereto, the arms of the different frame members being pivotally interconnected at their lower ends and crossing each other in diiferent positions of the frame members with said bars close together and remote from each other, the arms of one frame member being between the arms of the other frame member, the different arms slidably engaging each other in course of said movement, and the arms increasing in the width of their sliding surfaces from their upper to their lower ends.

2. A frame for handbags including a plurality of frame members having portions movable toward and away from each other, each of said frame members having an arm, the arms of the different frame members being swingably interconnected and crossing each other above the point of interconnection so that pressure on the arms for moving the same toward each other causes said portions to move apart, said arms having below the point of interconnection extensions spaced with respect to each other so that pressure on said extensions for moving the same toward each other causes the arms to tend to move apart and'said portions to move together, whereby accidental movement of the frame members and opening of the handbag by pressure at the general region of the sides of the handbag is prevented except as said pressure is confined to said arms.

3. A holder having a frame and front and back cover portions and gussets located therebetween, said frame comprising, in combination, two U- shaped frame members each having a connecting portion and side portions and pivotally connected at the ends of the side portions thereof, said side portions crossing each other between the pivoted ends and the connecting portions, and releasable engagement means located intermediate the ends of the side portions to provide means to hold the holder in closed position, said front and back cover portions attached to the said connecting portions,

-said gussets attached to said front and back cover portions in spaced relation to and between said side portions, said front and back cover portions adapted to overlie and conceal said side portions when viewed from the front, back or bottom of the holder but exposed to view at the ends of the holder, said side portions being normally removed from the front, back and bottom portions of the holder in both open and closed positions of said frame members.

4. A frame for a container of the class described comprising a pair of complementary U- shaped frame members each formed from a single piece of material having a top bar portion and a depending arm at each end of the top bar, the arms of adjacent ends of said frame members being pivoted together to permit relative movement of the crossbars toward and away from each other, said adjacent arms crossing each other between the pivoted ends and the bar members, said two bar portions being of equal length and some of said arms being bent adjacent to their points of connection with the bar members so that said top bars may have their ends opposite each other.

JACOB SCHOENFELD. 

